Wildlife Land Trust / Sanctuaries / QLD / L’Abri 11

Penny and Ian Moysey and Pamela Burgess are the new owners of L’Abri 11, a large residential block situated in Indooroopilly, 8km from Brisbane CBD, Queensland. Currently a residential block with a neglected garden, the owners intend to remove the house and rehabilitate the native bush on the property to create a sanctuary and suburban wildlife corridor.

The property covers approximately 0.12 hectares and features native vegetation currently overrun with weeds. Vegetation includes several mature tree species including Bribie Island pines (Callitris columellaris), brushbox (Lophostemon confertus), ironbarks, red cedars (Toona ciliata), tallowwood (Eucalyptus microcorys), foambarks (Jagera pseudorhus), grey gums (Eucalyptus punctata), foxtail palms (Wodyetia bifurcata), flame trees (Brachychiton acerifolius) and figs. Chinese elms (Ulmus parvifolia) and other weeds are present, but the owners plan to remove them in the near future.

A wide variety of wildlife is found on the property including brushtail (Trichosurus vulpecula) and ringtail (Pseudocheirus peregrinus) possums, brush-tailed phascogales (Phascogale tapoatafa), flying-foxes (Pteropus spp.), eastern water dragons (Intellagama lesueurii), carpet pythons (Morelia spilota) and various skinks.

The property also provides habitat for a vast array of birds including brush turkeys (Alectura lathami), blue-faced honeyeaters (Entomyzon cyanotis), laughing kookaburras (Dacelo novaeguineae), noisy miners (Manorina melanocephala), pied butcherbirds (Cracticus nigrogularis), pied currawongs (Strepera graculina), magpies (Cracticus tibicen), magpie-larks (Grallina cyanoleuca), torresian crows (Corvus orru), pheasant coucals (Centropus phasianinus), spangled drongos (Dicrurus bracteatus), Eastern koels (Eudynamys orientalis), Australasian figbirds (Sphecotheres vieilloti), fruit doves (Ptilinopus spp.), crested pigeons (Ocyphaps lophotes) and wonga pigeons (Leucosarcia melanoleuca). Parrots such as rainbow (Trichoglossus moluccanus) and scaly-breasted (Trichoglossus chlorolepidotus) lorikeets, king parrots (Alisterus scapularis) and little (Cacatua sanguinea) and long-billed (Cacatua tenuirostris) corellas are also present.